Display fixture for stores



March 13, 1934. R. E. GRAY.

DISPLAY FIXTURE FOR STORES Filed May 10, 1933 3mm fiic/wrdffimy WWW Patented Mar. 13, 1934 STATE PATENT GFFICE DISPLAY FIXTURE FOR STORES Application May 10, 1933, Serial No. 670,347

3 Claims. 240-4) This invention relates to a display fixture primarily adapted to be used in displaying merchandise together with signs or posters advertising such merchandise and the object of the invention is to provide a display fixture of a distinctive appearance and color scheme which will serve to direct attention particularly to the merchandise displayed; and which due to its construction and arrangement of parts, will result in increasing the sales of goods so displayed, all of which will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, which is made a part hereof and on which similar reference characters indicate similar parts,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the display fixture,

Figure 2, a front view in elevation of the fixture, the lower portion being a section on line 22 of Figure 3,

Figure 3, a section on line 3--3 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4, a section on line 4@ of Figure 2.

In the drawing reference character 10 indicates the back of the fixture or cabinet provided with a top 11 and the sides 12. The top and sides are provided with beaded or grooved front edges 13 which are finished with aluminum paint to form a bright outline around three sides of the entire fixture. The lower portion of the fixture is provided with the sides 14 positioned forwardly at right angles to the sides 11 and connected by a front 15 forming a light enclosing structure. A shelf 16 is positioned within the top of the structure and is joined along its rear edge by a false back or partition 17 which extends upwardly parallel to the back 16 to such an extent as to cover approximately one-half of the back 10, and forms a passage-way for light. The front edge of the shelf 16 is spaced from the front 15 so as to provide an opening through which light will be re- 40- flected from the enclosing structure. A lighting unit 18 of suitable character is positioned beneath the shelf 16. The shelf 16 is also provided with an opening 19 through which light may shine to illuminate the interior of transparent or semitransparent merchandise containers that may be placed over the opening.

It should be clearly understood that it is not the intention to limit the shelf 16 to the type just described. It may be solid and without provision for the display of transparent merchandise; it may be provided with slots, notches or other means of allowing the merchandise to be lighted from within; it may be of transparent material v a and completely covering the opening, thus allow- IB-ing loose merchandise to be displayed with light shining through it or it may be solid with openings cut in the false back 17 for illumination. Several different types of shelves may be furnished with each fixture.

Immediately below the space between the front edge of the shelf and the front 15 a reflecting surface 20 is positioned at such angle to reflect the light upward to the face of packages of merchandise placed on the shelf. A similar reflecting surface 21 is positioned along the back 10 at such an angle as to reflect light upward between theback 10 and false back 17 to the face of a sign 22 attached to the face of the back 10.

The sides 14 and the front 15 are provided with a finishing strip 23 along the bottom edge which abuts the front edge of the sides 12 to complete the structure. A frieze or ornamental top arch 24 is provided depending from the top 11.

All the exterior surfaces except the beaded or grooved front faces of the sides and top are painted dull or fiat black so as not to reflect light while all the interior or reflecting surfaces are painted with aluminum paint or any other suitable finish that will give a white or diffused light. However, if desired, the reflecting surfaces may be made of metal or any other material that will reflect light instead of being painted. The flat black or dull color forms a dead back-ground against which merchandise may be displayed in sharp contrast.

The operation or use of the device is simple. A poster, sign or advertisementfrom a magazine or any other similar printed, lettered or artistically created means of advertising the use to which a product displayed may be put, is attached to the back 10 in any suitable manner so as to be completely visible through the space between the top of the false back 17 and the bottom of the frieze 24. The sign 22 is illuminated by the light from the lighting unit 18 reflected by the surface 21 and the specially treated interior surfaces through the passageway between the back 10 and the false back 17.

The commodity corresponding to that advertised on the sign is placed on the shelf 16 in such numbers as desired and according to the size of the fixture allowing space in center to afford view of another container to be placed over the opening 19 in the shelf. The opening 19 is so located that light will shine through to illuminate the interior of a transparent or semi-transparent commodity contained that may be either the same as displayed on other parts of the shelf 16 or merchandise which may be used in connection with it, and it may be in its original transparent It is obvious that the device may be altered to 7 include a series of shelves at the same or diiferent levels and that rectangular fixtures displaying on four sides or circular ones displaying on all sides may be built Without altering the general idea disclosed in the specification. In longer lengths, lights will be placed at equal intervals so that the lamp filament centers would be located in the same relative position with reference to the reflecting surfaces. The fixture is designed to serve as an advertising or display and sales fixture, which is clearly an improvement over the regular methods of displaying on shelving. It may be used in connection with a basket or bin installed below and in front of it, in which basket or bin the stock of merchandise from which customers will make purchases is placed.

. It may be clearly seen that a unique and novel display fixture results, one which affords a well balanced and clearly illuminated advertising medium in which the goods and associated advertisements are in close relation to each other and which increases sales with respect to such goods so displayed.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in my device Without departingfrom the spirit of the invention and therefore I do not limit myself to what is shown in the drawing and described in the specification, but only as indicated by the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

thereof ,a partition on the rear edge of said shelf extending upwardly covering a part of the open front and being spaced from the back of said cabinet, a light source positioned beneath said shelf and reflecting means within said cabinet adapted to reflect light to illuminate the exterior surfaces of articles positioned on said shelf and on the back of said cabinet above the partition, substantially as set forth.

2. A display fixture comprising an open front cabinet provided with a forward projecting lower portion, an article support positioned on said portion being spaced from the front thereof and from the back of said cabinet, a false back positioned along the rear edgesof said article support forming a light passageway adjacent the back of said cabinet, a light source positioned beneath said support and reflecting surfaces positioned at an angle with respect to said light source to reflect light along the front and rear edges of said article supportto illuminate articles on said support and back of said cabinet, substantially as set forth.

3. A display fixture for merchandise and advertisements associated therewith comprising a cabinet provided with a support for merchandise projecting from the loweredge thereof and a flat back surface on which an advertisement may be secured, said support being spaced along its rear edge from the back surface of,said cabinet, a light source positioned beneath said support, light reflecting surfaces adjacent said light source to. reflect the light along the front edge of the sup= port to illuminate the front of the merchandiseand along the rear edge of the support to illumi-, nate the advertisemention the back surface, substantia ily as set forth.

' RICHARD EiGRAYJ its 

